As we all know, state legislation often affects Americans’ daily lives much more than federal legislation. The key issues that impact us are state-level issues –- e.g., crime and education -- and the specific nature of that impact on our daily lives –- e.g., whether it is a progressive or regressive one –- depends on which political party controls the legislature. One area where we clearly see a difference is in the area of the educational curriculum.

I often use this blog to document nationwide trends and patterns, but today, I would like to take an opportunity to point out some bills that are remarkable because of their uniqueness.

Promoting language study in Washington State

A provocative 2007 story in Stateline conveys the urgency in making sure American students can compete globally.

Last year, the Democratically controlled legislature introduced HB 1517. The bill has 2 key components: (1) it requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to assign a full-time staff to serve as world language supervisor and describes the supervisor's duties and (2) subject to funding, it directs the OSPI to allocate grants for pilot projects to enhance world language instruction in elementary and middle schools.

This year, a key foreign-languages bill was HB 2523, which would create the position of world language supervisor in the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

Teaching labor history in Wisconsin

In a political culture where students know more about Hollywood celebrities and sports figures than they do about Samuel Gompers or Howard Zinn, Democrats in the Wisconsin Senate tried to improve students’ historical literacy.

In Wisconsin, SB 108 would require every school district in Wisconsin to teach labor history. This 2007 labor bill passed 19-14 in the Democratic Senate and died in the Republican Assembly. This unique and important bill required that every school board’s instructional program in state, national, and world history include information on the history of organized labor in America and the collective bargaining process.

*For more information – including foreign-language requirements for high-school graduation – check out the state reports on the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages.